Page 7 of Shadowed Fate

"Or just a scared kid," Tiernan interjects softly.

The possibility sits uncomfortably in my gut. We've all been there. Thanks the gods for Grimstone.

"Whatever she is, whatever she can do, we bring her in. Those are our orders.”

Chapter 4

Brigid

The chill of the night air nips at my cheeks as I cross the street, the echo of my boots against the pavement a lonely sound in the quiet. Main Street, once vibrant and bustling, is like a ghost town in the evenings—its glory days long past. I pull my cardigan tighter, hoping to block out the cold, and I can't help but miss Fiona's understanding presence and her ability to make even this town seem warm.

I’m just coming up on Milano’s Pizza, the smell of oregano and fresh dough wafting out, when I see her. Stacy Nangreaves. My high school tormentor, emerging from the pizzeria with her crew of friends. Our eyes lock, and I feel my body tense, preparing.

Of all the girls who tormented me in school, she was the worst.

Stacy had been surprisingly creative for someone so dull. Her masterpiece, the crowning glory of her bullying endeavors, had occurred just before graduation. Stacy had spent weeks actually being kind to me, more than just not being outright mean or simply acknowledging my existence.

I was suspicious at first, naturally. But when you’re a kid, and the popular girls ask you to sit at their table, and all the bullying stops, immediately and completely, you don’t want to question it. You’re just grateful. She’d played the long game and had gotten me to trust her with invitations to movie nights and shared bottles of beer in the woods. She’d apologized for having been a bitch in the past, for all of the hateful comments and bad behavior.

My aunt was thrilled that I finally had a friend, after all of the years of being alone, never invited to birthdays, never having anyone to invite to mine. Thrilled that it was Stacy Nangreaves, with her shining blonde hair and bright, clear complexion—the girl everyone adored, the niece she wished she’d really had. When it all ended—as of course, it was going to; that much was clear from the beginning had I been willing to see—my aunt had told me I must have done something terrible to poor Stacy for our friendship to end so abruptly. I didn’t bother to explain; there wasn’t any point.

Stacy had asked me to come on a double date with her boyfriend Pat and his buddy Braden, both boys more golden than the sun, as far as this town was concerned. They played football, they were both going on to university, and they were tall and handsome. Stacy convinced me that Braden was truly interested in me, that he’d always thought I was pretty but he’d been too shy to say anything. Braden didn’t seem like the shy type to me.

They picked me up at seven o’clock on a Saturday evening. Braden drove, me in the passenger seat beside him and Stacy and Pat in the backseat. I remember seeing Stacy’s reflection in the mirror, her eyes were glittering, and her wide smile showed all her sharp, tiny teeth. It had made me shiver. I think I must have known then that this wasn’t going to be the kind of night I’d expected. I just didn’t know how it would all play out.

We’d driven back to Braden’s house. His parents were gone for the weekend. We played cards. We got drunk on beer and vodka shots. Braden pulled me onto his knee and we kissed. It was my first kiss, and I remember not really knowing what to do with my hands or my tongue, at first. I’d loved how warm he felt, how soft his lips were. I hadn’t felt the comfort of anyone’s arms since my parents passed. Janice and John weren’t huggers.

After a couple of kisses, he had winked at me and pushed me off his knee, saying he wanted to play video games with Pat. Stacy pulled me aside and told me that Braden wanted me to go upstairs with him. I wondered why he didn’t ask me that himself.

Stacy had wanted to know what kind of underwear I had on. I had blushed, when she pulled out the neck of my sweater and looked down at my ugly but functional beige bra. She handed me something from her backpack—a red, lacy, see-through bra and panty set. Told me that I could thank her tomorrow, and we ran giggling up the stairs to Braden’s room.

Stacy helped me get into the lingerie, and told me to lie down on Braden’s bed. She coached me into a pose she said looked super seductive, and whipped out her phone, telling me that I looked so hot I needed a selfie for posterity. I protested, but she just laughed and said it would be worth it. Then, with a finger pressed to her lips, Stacy turned to me before leaving. “It’ll be a surprise. Wait here for a few minutes, and I’ll tell Braden to go up and see you,” she had said.

I’d waited, the room spinning a bit from the alcohol and lack of food in my stomach. I’d been to nervous to eat the shepherd’s pie Aunt Janice had made for supper. Too much time had passed, and I was starting to get cold, starting to feel sick. I was about to get up when I heard voices, lots of voices, more than just the boys and Stacy’s. I’d heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. Before I could get to my clothes, to put them on and see what was happening, the door burst open, and dozens of faces from school were staring at me, laughing at me, taking pictures of me, pointing at me. Braden stepped into his room and sneered at me. “Now I’m gonna have to burn those sheets.” The rising cacophony of laughter was unbearable.

Grabbing my clothes, I’d pulled my sweater and jeans on over the lingerie. Someone picked up my discarded bra and threw it in my face, while a voice yelled, “Ewww! Don’t touch it!”. I pushed past the crowd in the doorway who by now had spilled into the room, trying to ignore the multitude of male hands that touched me, rubbing and grabbing. My eyes met Stacy’s as I stumbled out into the hall. If I had expected help, I was sorely mistaken.

“Brigid, it’s so inappropriate, throwing yourself at Braden like that.”

I’d stopped dead, shocked. “I…I didn’t—”

Stacy glanced around, making sure she had the audience’s full attention. “We were nice enough to invite you to this party. We did you afavor.” She shook her head at me. “Showing up early and letting yourself into Braden’s room when heclearlytold you he wasn’t interested? That is completely unacceptable.”

Someone called out. “Call the cops on her!” Wild laughter.

Tears had blurred my vision as I started down the stairs.

“Oh, Brigid?”

I stopped, looking back up at Stacy. “You forgot these.” She tossed my old underwear at me, and I caught it in my hands. The crowd dissolved into peals of laughter.

I ran down the stairs, slid my boots on my feet, not caring that my socks were still somewhere upstairs, and fled to my aunt and uncle’s house, crying for the first half of the hour-long walk, then realizing halfway home that the tears wouldn’t come any more and I was just numb.

The next week at school I found out that Stacy had shared the photo with everyone, telling them that I’d sent it to both her boyfriend Pat and Braden.

I didn’t tell Aunt Janice any of that.

It wouldn’t have mattered if I had.

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